NASCAR Race Review: Kroger 200

Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. Saturday the NASCAR Nationwide Series spent the day at Lucas Oil Raceway across town from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be racing the Brickyard 400 on Sunday. Practice for the 30th Annual Kroger 200 race was held with 6 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. the fastest. When they qualified later in the afternoon, Ricky captured the Pole position with a speed of 108.278 mph and 22.81 seconds around this .686 mile short track. Sprint Cup driver 22 Brad Keselowski starts in second. They practiced and qualified in the heat of the day, but will race in the cool of the night in the new car. 2 Elliott Sadler crashed in his qualifying run and will start the race from the rear.

6 Stenhouse, Jr. starts the race from the outside lane and leads from the Pole. 31 Justin Allgaier and Sprint Cup driver 60 Carl Edwards race for third with 60 taking the spot. 38 Jason Leffler and 16 Trevor Bayne race side by side for fifth and get into each other. 33 Austin Dillon and 62 Michael Annett race for eighth. 20 Drew Herring, 32 Reed Sorenson and 2 Sadler are three wide for position. 20 gets the spot, then 2 gets around 20. 60 gets by 22 for second. 62 and 33 are still racing side by side.

32 the Points leader gets lapped, needing an adjustment. And the first caution comes out on lap 48 for debris, giving 32 his lap back. 6 has trouble getting out of his pit stall and 60 beats him out of the pits. 6 takes the lead at the restart. 22 gets by 60 for second. 16 and 31 get together and 31 takes fourth. They race again side by side and this time 16 takes the spot. 33 and 38 race each other side by side with 18 Michael McDowell right behind. 33 finally gets by 38. 2 gets by 22 for sixth, after starting from the rear.

The second caution comes out for debris after 60 laps under Green. 19 Mike Bliss gets back onto the lead lap. 20 was too fast in the pits and has to make a pass through. 6 chooses the outside and takes off. 62 and 60 battle for third with 2 right behind. 60 gets the position. 2 takes fourth from 62. 62, 33 and 18 race each other while 6, 60 and 16 race each other. 62 and 33 race side by side for fifth and 33 finally gets by. 16 gets by 60 for second. 62, 18 and 22 race for sixth. 66 Steve Wallace, 30 James Buescher and 88 Aric Almirola race each other.

They go to a commercial and when we get back there is a Red Flag out! 62 and 40 Tim Andrews get together and 66 jumps over 62. After twelve minutes, they go back to Yellow. 38 pits before pit road is open. They pit with 22 laps to go. 60 comes out first, but is caught speeding. 11 Brian Scott is also too fast. 33 stays out to lead, but is quickly overtaken. 6 takes the lead and 16 gets by 33 for second.

The third caution comes out when 16 blows up with much smoke. 33 pits, after staying out and falling back. 09 Kenny Wallace gets his lap back. Before the restart, 31 in second has his rotor on fire and heads for the garage in flames. They go Green with four laps to go. 22 runs 6 into the wall to take the lead. The fourth caution comes out for spinning 2 who spins into 33. 6 and 2 got together and 2 went off spinning. The White Flag had already come out and 22 Cup driver Brad Keselowski wins the 30th Annual Kroger 200 after 6 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. led the most laps.